


Scarlet Melody

by Itasha80



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 15:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7720075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itasha80/pseuds/Itasha80
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arjuna Xai leads a Life of Music, a simple Life, a bittersweet Life full of beautiful Songs that shapes his world.</p>
<p>His Music usually flows in harmony, yet one day Fate choose a different Melody for him to sing, and his Destiny changes course...</p>
<p>A sudden attack on a cold night lead Arjuna into a different world known as Dermaga, a supernatural landscape that exist in a dimension that stood parallel to the human world.</p>
<p>In Dermaga, Arjuna witness an ongoing bloody war against an ancient evil deity that has fractured the core of Dermaga powerful magic into various evil factions, turning those unable to survive the destruction into mindless blood thirsty monsters bent on spilling the dark power of the ancient deity into the human world.</p>
<p>Yet some light of hope survived amidst the shadows that surrounds Dermaga, and various clans of powerful beings managed to keep the bloody war from destroying everything. </p>
<p>Arjuna sudden appearance in Dermaga brings a dissonance that changes the tide of the War, which ultimately lead him into a final showdown between the Forces of Good and Evil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scarlet Melody

Arjuna Xai hikes through the narrow dirt path of the Mountain under the blanket of dusk, his sharp hazel eyes occasionally roam the rough landscape, keeping an eye on the passing time as the sun slowly descent over the horizon.

Arjuna lean frame was simply clad in a combination of tunic and trouser that has seen better days, with a well worn dark blue cloak draped over his slim shoulders, barely keeping him warm from the freezing wind.

A leather Satchel, containing his meager belongings was strapped securely on his back, and a beautifully crafted Flute made from a rare breed of White Bamboo could be seen hanging casually from a small pouch on Arjuna narrow waist.

The exquisite Bamboo Flute stood out starkly from Arjuna overall plain attire, giving his otherwise drab appearance worthy of a second look from anyone keen enough to notice the pretty musical instrument. 

High over the murky horizon the majestic pale Moon slowly ascended the night sky. 

Arjuna keeps the Moon in his peripheral view as he treads his way gingerly over the uneven terrain, trying to walk as fast as he can with only his small lantern to light his way in the darkness. 

Pushing himself to ignore the biting wind, Arjuna bleary eyes unwittingly caught sight of the tiny flame of his small lantern, noticing the minuscule amber glow twirling the shadows in a dance of light and dark. 

The flickering flame reminded Arjuna of his Life on the road, on similar countless evening trailing the Mountainous regions of Arada, and slowly, creeping like shadows, memories of his past came unbidden.

Scenes of his life as a Traveling Minstrel flashes through the mirror of his mind, memories of him playing amidst grand festivals with colorful lights painting the night sky intertwines with gritty moments inside sleazy rundown taverns on the backside of remote villages, trying his best to play against a backdrop of fistfights and drunkards brawls that left him bruises in unwanted places, ending with him walking away penniless into the lonely night.

The sad life of a Traveling Minstrel sometimes almost mirrors that of a beggar, and Arjuna knows very well how bad things can get when you fall so far into a place of helplessness, into a wretched level of despair when you realize that you might die of starvation, that your body too weak with sickness to even hold your Flute properly to play for your survival.

A strong gust of wind suddenly slaps Arjuna from his dark remembrance like a splash of cold water. His weary eyes snap back into focus against the brooding silence of the Mountain, the unforgiving icy temperature stabs his senses into mobility.

Pulling his ragged cloak more closely against the punishing wind, Arjuna resumed his diligent hikes forward, forcing himself to walk, letting the past receded back into the shadows.

The minutes turn into hours, until suddenly a beacon of brightness emerged over the edge of the Mountain in a burst of twinkling lights that beckon Arjuna like a siren.

Gripping his lantern like a Lifeline, Arjuna hastens in a mad dash forward, running faster, leaping higher, the unforgiving wind clawing him to the bone, yet he didn't stop until he finally found himself standing on the threshold of the mountain, staring down at the vast landscapes that unfold before his Hazel eyes like a dream.

Arjuna squints slightly to catch a better view of the breathtaking vistas, tracing the topography of the beautiful Township that spread out below the Mountain like a scenery from one of his favorite childhood fairy tale, taking in all the shiny and glittery lights, a similar light of excitement glowing brightly within his avid gaze.

From his elevated vantage point, Arjuna could make out the shapes and structures of Narril, one of the Four major Township that was the lifeblood of Nurrya; the Great Capital City of the Powerful Kingdom of Nirrmala.

The whole region of lands that stretched below and around the Mountain as far as the eye can gaze on belongs to Nirrmala, one of the most prosperous and richest Kingdom in the whole of Arada, and one part of the mighty Four Kingdoms that made up the Four focal power points of Arada.

Dozens upon dozens of clustering buildings, mostly silver White in colors, with varied designs and infrastructures, each intertwines with different sections of well lit streets could be seen snaking along the bottom of the Mountains and expands the landscape towards the horizon beyond, and the view from such a high plateau in this late hour of the night was amazing. 

Arjuna could feel exhaustion seeping into the core of his body, yet his mind turns into planning mode, analyzing all the opportunities that he can seek once he steps into Narril.

Narril is prosperous, sophisticated, and they paid really well for all types of entertainment, especially for good music.

Narril will be a nice change of scenery from the usual down trodden backwater villages, heck Narril will be the most decadent place in this leg of his journey. It will be like an oasis after roughing it for months on god knows where.

There will be better opportunities, better way to earn a decent amount of money, and most importantly, Narril will be marvelous for a long stopover.

It is time to get some rest, some good food, and maybe get lucky if lady luck smile upon him, which will be a good thing considering the circumstances. 

Smiling slightly at the thoughts of money, warm Food, and comfortable Bed, (not necessarily in that order) Arjuna quickly step away from the shining lights of the streets below that winks at him with so much promise.

Hiking down the mountain can be done much faster when there is daylight for better vision, and since the Township is already within sight, there is enough time for him to camp down for the night, and conserve his energy for tomorrow.

Unfastening his bag, Arjuna begins to meticulously prepare his camp site like the hundred of times he has done before.

The shadows of midnight deeply enveloped the mountain in an endless shroud by the time Arjuna settled himself comfortably for a good night's sleep. A modest fire burns brightly to keep the cold at bay, yet a different kind of coldness has seeped into the night, creeping slowly amidst the shadows.

Arjuna never noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere, or the unnerving silence that hides an ominous presence that lingers in the dark.

It all happened in a blink of an eye, just a sudden jolt of awareness that penetrates his slumbrous mind, and like a thunderbolt that crash down from hell itself, a blood thirsty roar suddenly shattered the silence of the mountain, shaking the ground like an earthquake.

The freezing howl of the Mountain wind drastically changes into a thin whisper, and like a terrible scene straight out of a nightmare, Arjuna suddenly finds himself facing something that he never thought could be real.

To Be Continued...


End file.
